Let's Recap for a hot second...
I am really glad you all enjoyed my Grocery & Mailbox Finds Post
I have to say, I am glad I am not alone in not always buying organic. I feel like there's a bit of peer pressure out there in the blogosphere and among some of the holistic and natural communities to keep up with the Jones-es, Organically-speaking. I honestly can't afford to buy a $6 organic bell pepper, and some people would say, then don't buy it and choose something more affordable. Well, I'd rather eat my veggies, than not, even if it means buying non-organic produce. I respect everyone's decision how they feed themselves and their family's, and think that we all have to pick our battles in life and this is one of those things, for me, that a non-organic tomato is always better than skipping my veggies. There are shades of gray, context (local non-certified organic vs. trucked in from 3000 miles away but certified organic), and so many factors we need to consider when it comes to purchasing food, aren't there! Maybe we should all just move south and plant a big community garden!
Ok enough of that....
I am also really pleased about the excited and supportive comments you left about my Yoga & Raw Vegan Foods Retreat on the Beach!
Enough of the recapping (you guys just blew me over with all the awesome comments the past few days, I wanted to thank you all, adequately, before I moved on!)
Let's move on...
First, the people at Enjoy Life sent me a couple of their new cereals to try
Thanks Enjoy Life!
Not after Skylar spied it!
Next, I made a new salad dressing. I need variety in the dressing department!
Averie's Maple Ginger Dijon Vinaigrette
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar=ACV (or red wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, etc.) Or, 2 Tbsp Orange Juice
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (or if you don't have dijon and prefer yellow, spicy, honey mustard, etc. feel free to play with that)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
Optional: (I omitted all the optionals but am including for others just in case you want to try them)
Pinch of cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
Onion, minced to taste
Whisk all ingredients together, pour over salad, and enjoy!
This one was good!!! Very light, and the sweetness from the maple balances out the tang from the ACV and with the dijon, ginger, and a little black pepper for just a smidge of heat, it was nice!
This one most certainly hit the spot for Vegan Thursdays
Using Up Bananas
I also realized that we had a ridiculous banana surplus going on and I better start
whipping up some things to use them up.
First was Chocolate Brownie Protein Oats
cinnamon...
Added the Leaning Tower of Chocolate Brown Rice Pisa Protein, Agave, & Stirred.
And refrigerated for 18 hours. Good Stuff. Tastes so thick and fudgy because I actually move it from the fridge to the freezer midway through it's "uncooking" time. Not scientific, just whenever I remember to transfer from the fridge to the freezer. I don't do it right away because I don't want the liquid to freeze right away; I want the oats to absorb some of it, first. Then, freeze up!
We were still rockin' the banana surplus, so I mashed another banana for a batch of my Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars
And cut them into pretty No-Bake, Gluten-Free Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bars
Remember when I made the Vegan Gluten & Soy-Free Peanut Butter Banana Bread Loaf to use up a banana surplus I had going on?
The Yummy, Gooey Inside of a Muffy
Yoga today is Natarajasana (Lord of the Dance Pose)
I wanted to ask if you volunteer? What do you do to give back to this world? I know that I teach some free yoga, I run this blog and give freely of my recipes, vegan, raw, and otherwise as well as my knowledge and insights about healthy & holistic living, and also give lots of yoga advice & information.
I donate my possessions if I haven't used them in more than 6 months. When we moved from San Diego to Phoenix 5 months ago, I donated 80% of all our physical and material possessions. When I was younger and in college, I did free tutoring for others and when I was in high school and grade school, I was everything from a Candy Stripe girl at the hospital to a Girl Scout. I am an organ donor so if something happens to me, I want to help in that capacity, too. I am always the mom who is volunteering to head up the kiddie trip to the park or the zoo; the friend who other mom's call at 2am when the baby will not sleep and they are going insane.
I try to volunteer my heart; give my compassion and empathy to others. But I like to hear what others' do so that I can be more enlightened, more aware, more able to give, help, offer. What do you do to give back?
This whole Haiti situation has just really got me thinking about how fortunate we are here and that we really need to be less self-centered and more giving-centered. Natasha the Voracious Vegan has a great vegan bake-sale with proceeds going to Haiti, go check out how she's giving back.
And onto wayyyyy lighter matters, What's your favorite way to use up bananas? Yes, I know about freezing them for softserve & smoothies, but let's get creative, what else?
Stay Tuned For The Week in Review and a Great Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipe...
45 comments:
Hey Averie! Sorry I haven't been commenting, I'm a total introvert and need my alone time even from the internet!!
I had a banana surplus to use up and decided to make banana bread (so boring heh) and it turned out HORRIBLY. I can't remember such a baking disaster in my kitchen! the thing was a BRICK. still trying to figure out where I went wrong. SIGH.
I like to do the microwave banana trick in oats, or use mashed bananas instead of appysauce in a recipe to replace oil. . . *shrug* I don't often have bananas left long enough they NEED using up - I purposely ignored the ones I intended to use for the bread today!! :D
I LOVE volunteering. It sounds stupid, but I'm an INFJ and, I just NEED to help people. I mostly do this through church programs, but I also clean out the house regularly and whatever I can sneak past my husband gets donated. We donate money to a lot of different places. I like to send random emails of encouragement to people. It's just so easy to help somebody else, usually just takes a little bit of time but can make such a huge difference. :)
That's great that you're "that mom" on the school field trips. My dad was always "that dad" and I definitely want to be, too. Kids take the best field trips!
Last year, for my school, I volunteered at an old age facility. Those are definitely the best and most appreciating clients to have, although at times it felt like the world could get a little too "real".
We've had such the opposite problem in this house with bananas. I think we've made 2 or 3 trips specifically to get more bananas. I've seen a Rachael Ray recipe for mashed sweet potatoes with bananas that I would be all up for.
NATIONAL YOGA DAY!!!
that is so exciting!! im gona do more tommorow because of that!
whatcya doing for the weekend?!
have fun with your family!
I was glad that you didn't always buy organic. It is too expensive for me too always buy organic groceries!
Ooh! Banana-o-ramah! Everything looks so, so good.
I'd love to volunteer, once I'm old enough. I'll probably do work within the church, or overseas (teaching English?) Currently my family does a lot of donating of lightly used clothing and bits and bobs (my father has a major... attachment problems to his bargains, and inherently has never-ending surplus of stuff in our garage... A gazillion times bigger than your surplus of bananas... But you can't make yummy things out of random bits and bobs... :( )
It's true that a little goes a long way. Doing something that you would consider insignificant could truly make someone else's day... or life. We all just need to recognise how we can use our individual traits and/or talents to do that.
:) Reigne
Yay for national yoga day! I'll be in NYC over the weekend and I hope to pop by a studio!
Skylar looks adorable in that headband! I really admire your self sacrifice and generosity to others. I hope to continue to learn to be more giving and generous to other people, because that's what really matters at the end of the day.
americangourmande.wordpress.com
Such a cute headband (for a little girl!!) Skylar models it perfectly :) :)
I have 3 VERY VERY ripe bananas in my basket as we speak.. great ideas :)
Im a condiment phobe (weirdo) so no dressing for me but Seth would love this one!
I totally feel the same about the Haiti situation. Here we are lucky to post pics of what we eat (because we have UNLIMITED food) and there are people still w/o water.. its tough to think about. My school has a small collection going.. I have donated toiletries etc and although its a small contribution, it's something.
Oh Averie, you really do have the best posts! Where do you find the time to write such long, awesome posts?!
Yay the headband looks so cute on her! Glad you like it. That banana loaf look soooo good.
Averie!
So my love I have been completely admiring your blog for a while, and just never commented before.
So today I just had to say, that you have completely inspired me to start back up with my yoga practice. Since I have started again, I feel a million times better. I just love the energy it gives me for my day. It is almost like a "whole" feeling. Also, all your raw/vegan recipes own my heart. Alright pretty lady, my random rant of love is over. Hope you have a great weekend!
-Katrina M.
What yummy ways to use up bananas!! That is so funny how your protein scoop is actually in the shape of the scooper. LOL!
Hi!
Wow, Averie, you always have so many yummy eats! The vinagrette, the oats, the bars, the banana bread...
I was wondering...don't laugh: How do you take pics, without getting your hand dirty? Because when I take my 'before' and 'after' pics, my camera gets all dirty because the batter is so sticky, etc...xD
xo
Oh my gosh your new salad dressing looks amazing. I have not dijion mustard in so long, yum! I might just have to get me some.
Oh and Lori and I are trying to do yoga everyday!! We are really focusing on hip opening exercises, we notice we are tight in those areas...need some release so to speak!
National yoga day? Woo hoo! I LOVE that headband-- so CUTE!! Can't wait to see it on you...if Skylar will let you borrow it, that is ;-)
Im slgihtly embarassed that I had no idea tomorrow was National Yoga Day. Thanks for the news flash my dear.. I shall celebrate with sun salutations galore :)
Oh that headband is absolutely gorgoues! Though I'm pretty sure Skylar could make a garbage bag look lovely :) she's just too darn cute!
hope your weekend got off to a wonderful start, peaches! xoxo
How do you eat your brussels? Do you steam them or just eat them raw? I can't imagine crunching into a purely raw brussel sprout. =P You can reply on my blog if you would like. :)
So jealous of Skylar's cutie patootie headband! I actually have tomorrow and Sunday off (I know, can you believe it?!) so I might have to check out some free yoga! When it comes to leftover bananas I usually make banana bread, muffins, or massive quantities of pancakes, because I LOVE banana pancakes. My mom was ALWAYS "that mom" on field trips! I have always tried to make it a point to find some organization to work with, it's been bugging me that with my weird schedule here in Phoenix I haven't been able to find some place to do something consistently!
Averie! You are amazing. I love hearing about all of the inspiring things you do!
I try to buy organic, which is why I'm such a huge fan of the farmer's markets. I also just signed up for a service that's going to bring me a box of fruits and veggies, over 20 lbs!, every other week for only $30. And it's all organic and local! And it comes to about $1.50 per lb. for everything in the box! It's a great way to save $$$, and I'm supporting local farmers to boot!
Plus, I'm excited to be surprised every week at what I'm going to get!!!
Hey, I have a question...when you make your big veggie salads, are they always 100% raw? Like do you steam your brussels and broccoli at all, or are they raw too?
Have a great weekend!!!
XOXO,
Erin
OH, another dressing to try for sure!
Bananas? I buy 2 bunches a week. A little less now that I am trying to cut back on sugar. However, (like tonight) at week's end, I unpeel the ripe naners, and either freeze what's left, make a raw treat or dehydrate them (in my oven as of late). Right now I have 5 ripe bananas covered in Cinnamon and the house smells awesome. these will be used in a dessert for tomorrow's Raw Saturday. That pretty much uses up my leftovers. I used to bake banana bread in the days of yesteryear.
I love your bars. as always they look and sound and I know TASTE amazing.
I spent all day thinking about your organic topic and ran across a site that I like to go to lately and he 's an MD discussing the medical studies behind Paleo eating (more fats, even sat fats and less carbs) and he had a lot to say on organic (like it's a bunch of expensive hooey)
gave me pause. Like you, I won't go broke seeking every organic thing I can find but if I find it and use it normally and the price is fair, I buy. I am not obsessed over it.
Hubs and I are having more discussions regarding your retreat. He's seen your entire post on it. He's way familiar with OB so he got a good trip down memory lane over it. Well see! fingers crossed. Price at this point is my biggest hurdle . If we get our rental...rented maybe we will have a reprieve.
Luckily for me, it's close to home!
I would love to have a real live tan this summer! haha
OH, giving back? I try each and every day to give in some way. They may be little "things" but they add up. even if it's giving my kids more of my time, more of my attention ...just more. a better listener, a better employee, a smile, patience on the freeway, that kind of thing. We do also a lot LOT of giving our things to needy and food banks ...but I try to strive to make it not just a christmas thing.
Happy Friday my friend! I have some heartburn right now for some reason...wondering if it's the coffee...had two cups since last night. Doesn't sound like a lot but it's all i can think of.
xo
Averie! Thanks for the quick reply. :) I think I may get some brussels. I haven't been eating steamed veggies because I am setting my raw eating pretty high, but I am craving some sweet potato fries and some other greens that are hard to eat because of the crunchiness factor. Thanks again and I LOVE your blog!
PS: Have you ever thought of making a raw dessert that resembles carrot cake? ;)
hey hey! i volunteer- and you totally know what i'm going through to volunteer at a hospital (i previously volunteered at a community college's athletic training room) i've done Project Angelfood, which feed those with AIDS, and i help out from time to time at my work without getting paid. it's very nice.
bananas + pb- that's my thang. or banana pancakes? hahha =D your food looks delicious..AS ALWAYS! and you rock the yoga!
Averie- I am a long time reader of your blog and a first time poster. I absolutely love reading your blog and look forward to the new post everyday. I have made lots of your recipes and my family loves them. The maple glazed butternut squash this fall was awesome and I made a ton of your peanut butter cups aka almond butter cups and my coworkers are still raving!
I love yoga but it had been so long since I had practiced. Seeing your poses everyday inspired me to pull out my DVD's and get back into it. I will definitely check out the free class tomorrow!
I too have been really affected by Haiti and I keep wondering what can I do? I don't want to just throw money at them and forget about them. So, I am trying to come up with something from the heart. I did text the Red Cross but I want to do more. I look forward to reading more suggestions.
I do mostly the same volunteer stuff as everyone else, but one thing I like to do is mail cash to random people anonymously. Sometimes it is a person I have read about in the paper who needs help, but sometimes it is a person I pick at random from the phone book. I like to imagine the surprise they must have.
Anyway, thanks again for all that you do. It is a lot of work and you do a great job!
I love bananas...in cereals and oats with nut butters and almond or hemp milks or whatever...bananas all the time I say...yum on banana bread girl...i love banana bread.
I used to volunteer a lot. I do occasionally still...shamefully though no...i do nothing to "give back"...my excuse is that i first am trying to manage my own head and heart first....but that is lame also...have a nice night.
ah another post jam packed with goodness! let's see if i can remember all that i was thinking while reading.. SUPER cute headband and it would look cute on mother just as much as it does on daughter! those protein bars look awesome, i have not ever thought to use a banana~ great binding agent. i like to make muffins or bread when i have old bananas~ if they last that long. or i freeze them for smoothies. great looking dressing~ another one for the cookbooK! i want to volunteer at the humane society~ i should really find the time to! hope you have a great weekend babe! happy national YOGA DAY!
eeeek i hope hope hopee i can find some free or reduced yogi classes this weekend! i'm in desperate need of a good old sesh but my wallet is in desperate need of a good old discount.
enjoy your weekend and your holidaaaaay!
I do volunteer with my dad occasionally...and I always donate clothes, etc. My husband used to just THROW CLOTHES AWAY!! It made me so mad.
Have a wonderful weekend my dear! It would be wonderful to somehow hook up someday!! :)
Honestly, if I could volunteer my life away, I probably would. Sometimes I feel like the whole process of convincing people to pay me for what I love to do takes too long - and that I would rather do it! Isn't that ironic?! Be passionate about what you do. I guess I take that to an extreme.
Bananazz, schmamanazz - I tried making banana chips with them once. Or twice. That failed. Twice. So I turn them into frozen banana ice cream cookies. :D
I wish you lived at my house. Everything you make always looks amazing.
As far as bananas go, this isn't very creative, but I like chocolate covered frozen bananas. Or just plain frozen bananas. Yum.
Not that they didn't look great the first time, but those bars are making my mouth water! I just made some cookies today with some waning bananas. I always buy the reduced ones for smoothies, frozen banana hammocks ( :D ) and cookies. I sub banana for some oil in a lot of baked goods.
And that dressing recipe? I think we are on the same dressing wavelenght, because I almost posted that exact recipe on my salad dressing post a few days ago! It is definitely one of my faves!
Wow those bars look amazing- seriously marketable, Averie!
nanners_ I freeze them and put them in smoothies or oats for the hubster.
Giving back: I give blood/platelets. I also donate to animal rescue sites (and Haiti/tsunami/etc relief or whatever is in need). Also I tried volunteering at an animal shelter and ended up saving a cat who they were going to kill. I had to find a home for him and he cost a fortune. I just couldn't let him die when I knew he wasn't dangerous like they said he was. let's just say that was the first and last time I volunteered there b/c I wouldn't last another day without the same thing happening. I'm not strong enough to take it.
Nice all those things you've done and continue to do.
Thank you so much Averie, for posting about my fundraiser! I REALLY appreciate it and I love that you posted about giving back. Most of us are SO much luckier than we even imagine and I think it is our DUTY to give back and volunteer and donate whenever we can.
My professional life is all about activism as well. I run a women's right organization in Bahrain, I write frequently about animal rights, obviously I have my blog and a vegan bakery, and I try to donate as much money/belongings as I possibly can. Oh, and let's not forget my pack of rescue animals! ;-)
hey averie! ah i love your blog its amazing. im so bummed that im not in the us right now or i could be getting a reduced yoga class! only one of the reasons i miss new york! i love how you were finding delicious ways to use up your bananas(: and ohmygosh those protein bars look awesome, i have never used banana! all your treats look so yummy. not going to lie, i kind of drooled when i saw the inside of that muffin- i think i might just make muffins today now [; and that dijon sounds so delicious. love dressing! i volunteer with a charity which helps people recover from disasters and tragety... we redo their houses & give them some presents :D thanks for the awesome post! have a great saturday! xoxo
Oooh, love that new salad dressing. I always mix up maple syrup and balsamic, but now that I'm on a mustard kick this sounds right up my alley :)
I was going to say I freeze my bananas!! For smoothies though, I'm not big on frozen desserts (like my sweets warm ;) ) I don't really like doing much else with them besides baking when they get too ripe. I think the sugars start to ferment after a while and they taste like booze!!
As for volunteering, I used to do a lot of volunteer work with a local cable access channel. Not saving the world, but it was fun community involvement at least.
Now that it's the weekend, I'm so glad I'm finally going to get the chance to try one of your delicious recipes!
I wish I could make the trip, it sounds so beautiful! But I'm a broke college student lol :/ Hope you keep doing it every year and I one day get a chance to come!
I volunteered all through high school, but I admit it's unfortunately been put to the side since I've been in college. I was a candy striper for 5 years (LOL...I still laugh at the pictures), and I tutored middle schoolers in writing. It's something I loved and I should really look into doing again- thanks for the reminder!
That headband was made for Skylar, btw...she already looks so much like you!
I am not able to buy organic. I wish I could!
I want to start volunteering at the animal shelter near our house. We give a lot away too!
I have rotten bananas that will be tackled this weekend!! For sure banana bread! Yours looks great...but probably alottttt healthier than mine.
Love your ability to give away 'possessions', volunteer, yourself - I really have a lot to work on...Cheers.
I all of a sudden feel remarkably inspired with your banana recipes, I'll definitely be experimenting this week! xxx
using up bananas is always fun :) everyting looks great!
volunteering is such a rewarding thing. My favorite form was when I volunteered at a summer camp for kids with muscular dystrophy. It was really sad but fulfilling.
Hi Averie
I am Alicia the maker of the headband. Thanks so much for posting a picture of it! Your daughter looks adorable in it! And I'm off to make your no-bake peanut bars!
Im Bananas over this Post!!!!!!! Hahaha!!!!!!!! Gosh girl you jusr rock!!! I am going to have to try that banana bread and those bars!!!!!
You are always coming up with something yummy, I would LOVE to be staying at your house!!!!!
Bananas I have no unique use for, except I put them in my green monsters or on toast with Peanut Butter, sometimes I make a banana sandwich with PB and Fake Bacon!! Its yum all together!!!!
Love ya!!! Have a wonderful weekend!! Yay for free yoga day!!!!
I wish I had the time to do a class today, too busy with my son and puppy, and my fiance as well!!!
xoxoxo
Love your blog, Averie. So glad I ran across it. Your desserts are amazing. I already made the oat bars and used some of the ingredients and your method to make a raw almond butter and chocolate chip oat cookie. So that's one way to use up bananas. I also cook them into oatmeal. A banana chocolate avocado mousse would be nice--note to self--need to try that. A banana rice pudding would be fabulous, too. That's all I can think of at the moment, because I have to log off and go teach a Yoga class now. But if I think of anything else regarding using bananas, I'll post more ideas. Have a fantastic weekend. Shanti!
It sounds like you do a lot to give back Averie! But (selfishly) I am most happy about the free recipes you give us :)
Averie - I just made your maple-ginger-dijon vinaigrette! Awesome!!!!
You know, I've been trying to find dressings for my more delicate lettuces... this one is amazing! I think this is the first dressing I've made from scratch that I actually like, thank you! :)
I like how the sweetness of the maple plays well with the boldness of the acv and dijon, while you get just a slight kick from the pepper, awesome!
nice post. thanks.
Maple is one of my favorite flavor profiles ever. Probably the reason why your choc chip dough balls and why Heab's oaties are so damn good!
But love this vinaigrette recipe. Sometimes I'll just do a drizzle of tahini and maple on my veg and salads. So good.
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